Every Rose Has Its Thorn
by Dark Flames of Light
Summary: Skyrose is a strange cat in a strange world, which seemed to be perfect at first. But then she started listening to the whispers, and now she isn't sure what perfection really is. One-shot.


**I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING IN FOREVER AND I FEEL REALLY AWFUL ABOUT THAT BECAUSE SUDDENLY I'M IN PAIN FROM LACK OF WRITING**

 **So I'm writing a one-shot to help me feel less awful. Review, favorite etc. if you like this, or if you want this to eventually be a longer story.**

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Skyrose was a strange cat in a strange world; there always seemed to be whispers coming from the undergrowth. They told her things like "Save yourself" and "Wake up," but she loved the world she lived in. It was flawless.

The landscape was an endless green forest, alive with insects and prey. The sun constantly shone in the clear sky. Sometimes the world looked hazy from all the colors and brightness. Skyrose didn't know how long she had been in this heaven, or how she ended up there. She liked to think that StarClan cats had used the power of the stars to transport each cat to their perfect world.

One sunrise, Skyrose awoke in what seemed to be a very large bird's nest. It rested safely in the thick branches of a tree, and it was made of sticks and feathers. On most days the she-cat felt like a bird. She always wished she could soar above the forest forever. But, she was also happy with climbing to the tops of the tallest trees.

Skyrose stepped out of her nest onto a branch and looked down. She could faintly see butterflies flashing among the overgrown grass, a skylength below her branch. She purred to herself. She was the only cat, but her world was worth being alone.

She expertly climbed down her tree and launched herself through the tall grass. The whispers brushed her ears again: "Wake up, wake up..." She happily ignored them, continuing to run across the forest floor. Every creature Skyrose passed must have thought she was a bird, she was moving so quickly and gracefully.

She finally collapsed in the shade of a small oak tree, laughing and gasping for breath. She didn't need any other cats; she had endless land all to herself. Nothing ever changed. But, everything was beautiful.

Skyrose left her oak tree to hunt, which didn't take long at all. The forest had abundant prey. Skyrose could go anywhere and never be hungry. She returned to the oak, feeling exhilarated from the morning.

She closed her eyes. She hated the darkness, but at the same time there was something peaceful about it. When she opened her eyes again, the clear sky was streaked with pink and gold. "I must have fallen asleep," Skyrose said aloud to herself.

She tried to move, but felt pain pricking across her spine. She stood up with effort and turned to examine herself. To her shock, there was a row of thorns along her back. "Wh- this world isn't supposed to be painful!" Skyrose said with more annoyance than any other emotion. It took her until nightfall to pull out all the thorns and to treat the wounds.

She didn't feel tired, so she climbed the small oak she was resting under. Suddenly, she felt a stab through her paw and nearly fell out of the tree. She regained her balance, panting, and heard more whispers. "Wake up, wake up...save yourself, wake up..."

Skyrose managed to get back on the ground without hurting herself more. She looked at her paw and saw another thorn. "What in StarClan...?" she muttered to herself as she removed the thorn.

Skyrose suddenly felt exhausted, like the whole world was throbbing and not just her wounds. She curled up to sleep again and felt more thorns poking at her tail. She growled for the very first time since she appeared in the everlasting forest. She ignored the pain, quickly falling asleep.

The next morning, Skyrose couldn't move at all. She was aware that the entire left side of her body was covered in thorns. "What is going on?!" she hissed, deeply frustrated.

She forced herself to stand up and yowled with pain. Some of the thorns fell off of her, but many were stuck beneath her skin. She spent almost the entire day picking out thorns and stopping the bleeding, so that when she looked up, another sunset had come. Her stomach growled, making her realize she didn't eat anything that day.

Skyrose very carefully climbed a nearby tree. She managed to get to the top of the tree without being injured again. Stars were starting to appear above her, making her feel relieved and happy. She closed her eyes, thankful, but she instantly felt a thorn cut her face. Confused and angry, Skyrose yowled, "Why is this happening? StarClan, what did I do?"

She heard a faint whisper respond to her. "Close your eyes again..."

Fearfully, Skyrose did as she was told. After several long moments, the voice came back, louder. "Open them."

Skyrose slowly opened her eyes to find the forest, once completely green, covered in color. The next thing she realized was that multicolored roses had replaced all the leaves.

"I...I don't understand..." Skyrose stuttered.

She tried to take a step forward, but something pulled her into the air. She panicked, trying to get back to the ground, but then she realized a third thing.

Where her shoulder fur should have been, there was a pair of beautiful white wings. They seemed to have a mind of their own as they moved around to keep Skyrose in the air. "I- I'm _flying_ ," she said in disbelief. She eventually gained control of her wings and gently flew back to the branch she was standing on. " _Flying!_ " she laughed. "The world just became more perfect!"

"It did not, Skyrose," the whispering voice responded. "Every rose has its thorn."

The sky faded to black, covering the stars in darkness. The moon was the only thing visible.


End file.
